


Unsigned

by Halevetica



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Anniversary of the Hale Fire (Teen Wolf), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eternal Sterek, Ficlet, Flower Language, M/M, One Shot, Sterek Mystery, Sterek Week 2019, Supportive Stiles, Sweet Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-04 00:46:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21188750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halevetica/pseuds/Halevetica
Summary: Every year on the anniversary of the Hale fire, Derek receives flowers. The note is never signed, and this year Derek is determined to figure out who they're from.





	Unsigned

Derek stopped at the top of his stairs as he spotted the vase of flowers. He knew without looking what the note said. He got the same one every year on this day.

Plucking the card from it's stand, he smiled slightly.

This was the third year that he had received flowers on this day. The anniversary of the Hale fire. It meant a lot to Derek to know that someone was thinking of him and cared enough to reach out on such a difficult day.

The first year it had happened Derek had been shocked and nearly cried. He had hidden the flowers in his room to avoid questions from the pack.

The second year he set them out proudly on the kitchen table. Erica had been the only one to mention them, but Derek only shrugged making her drop the topic.

Both years the card was unsigned. Just the same message.

Just a reminder that you're not alone.

The card remained unsigned this year as well, however, Derek was determined to find out who they were from.

He was sure it wasn't anyone in the pack, as they had never mentioned the tragic event and Derek had never told them the date. They would have no way of knowing.

The alpha set the flowers on the kitchen table like he had the year before and pulled out his phone. There was only one person that he would trust to tell about this and that could help him find out who they were from.

-

Stiles hurried to swallow the mouth full of curly fries he'd just shoved in his mouth when he saw Derek's name flashing across his screen.

"Hey, Der, what's up?" He asked cheerily.

"Stiles, are you busy?" Derek asked, his tone sounding uncertain.

"Uh, no," Stiles frowned, he didn't like the way his alpha sounded. Of course, he shouldn't have expected any less as he knew what today was, though he would never tell Derek.

"I need a favor."

"Sure, what's up?" Stiles would do anything to help Derek, especially today.

"Could you stop by the loft?"

Stiles stood up and grabbed his keys, "I'm leaving now."

When Stiles arrived at Derek's loft, he wasted no time with knocking. Derek expected the pack to come and go as they pleased, however, the door was locked when Stiles went to open it.

"Derek?" Stiles knocked, his tone full of worry.

A moment later the door opened.

"Sorry, I didn't want anyone interrupting us," Derek apologized.

Stiles' scent must have spiked because Derek immediately reassured him, "Everything's okay, I just want to talk to you about something and I don't really want the rest of the pack to know."

Stiles relaxed slightly, but the frown on his features remained.

"Come on, let me show you," Derek lead Stiles to the kitchen after locking the door back.

Stiles stopped short when he saw the vase of flowers, he'd picked out that morning.

"Here," Derek plucked the card he'd had made and handed to him.

Stiles already knew what it said but he couldn't tell Derek that.

"That's very...ominous," Stiles handed the card back.

"It's unsigned."

Stiles only nodded.

"This is the third year and they're always the same flowers."

Stiles bit down on his lower lip as he tried to hold back a smile. He had spent weeks putting together the perfect bouquet the first year. He wanted flowers that represented Derek's family.

There were Lilac's to represent family. Violets to represent loyalty. Irises because they were Talia's favorite. Daisies because they were Laura's favorite. Lily's in remembrance of Derek's five-year old cousin Liliana, and lastly Gladiolus to signify strength.

"My mom was really big onto flower meanings, growing up she said it was important to know what each plant represented, and which ones were safe and dangerous."

"That's smart," Stiles nodded. Trying not to give away too much.

"I need to know who these flowers are from; can you help me?" Derek gave Stiles a hopeful look.

Stiles' head snapped towards Derek, "I'm sorry, what?"

"I need to know who sent these," Derek repeated.

"I think if they wanted you to know then they would have signed the card," Stiles gestured towards the card that was in Derek's hand.

"Stiles, I don't think you know how important this is to me."

Stiles sputtered but didn't have anything to say. Derek was right, he didn't know how important it was to Derek.

"Do you not like them?" Stiles frowned at the vase on the table.

"I love them and that's why I need to know who they were from," Derek reached out and touched the petal of one of the Lilly's.

"Oh," Stiles swallowed. He could tell Derek, but the whole point was that he didn't want Derek to know he knew.

"They're for the anniversary of the fire," Derek's voice dropped as he avoided Stiles' eyes.

Stiles licked at his bottom lip unsure of what to say. He would feel dumb pretending to not know what today was, but he also knew Derek didn't want anyone to know.

"Stiles..." Derek glanced up at the abnormally quiet guy.

"Do you know who sent these?" Derek narrowed his eyes.

"What?" Stiles scoffed. "No."

Derek straightened; his eyes boring into Stiles'. "You're lying."

"Damn you Werewolves," Stiles threw his hands up.

"Stiles, did you know about today?" Derek demanded.

Once again Stiles was left to splutter unsure of what to say.

"Wait," Derek's demanding posture relaxed slightly, "They're from you."

Stiles' tongue flicked out, anxiously wetting his lips. If he lied Derek would know.

"All this time, you knew?" Derek's tone was gentler now, vulnerable.

"I knew you didn't like making a big deal of it but I didn't want you to think you were alone," Stiles shrugged, his eyes dropping as if in shame.

"And the flower meanings?"

Stiles shrugged. "Remember when I found those dried flowers in that book forever ago? You said they belonged to Laura, they were her favorites. Cora had mentioned Irises being your mom's favorite. And then Lily's in remembrance of Liliana..." he trailed off almost afraid to continue when he saw the pain cross Derek's face.

The alpha reached out stroking a petal gently. "Violet's for Loyalty. Lilac's for family. And Gladiolus for strength, right?"

Stiles only nodded.

"How did you know about Lily?"

"It was in the paper, the list of everyone who died inside. She was Peter's daughter, right?" Stiles had never talked to Derek about the hale fire to this extent. It felt odd but he felt honored that Derek would talk to him at all.

"I don't know what to say," Derek's jaw clenched.

Stiles couldn't be sure if Derek was mad or not. His posture was tense, but his tone was soft.

"You don't have to say anything," Stiles shrugged.

"Thank you," Derek looked up to meet Stiles' gaze. His eyes were slightly glossy from unshed tears.

Stiles gave a sympathetic smile.

A banging at the door pulled Stiles and Derek's attention.

"Hey, why's the door locked," Erica yelled before banging again.

"Coming," Derek called as he went to step by Stiles. "Can we keep this between us? I like the pack not knowing the exact day," he paused as Stiles' side.

"Of course, Der," Stiles grinned.

Derek felt relieved knowing who it was that was sending the flowers now and if he was being honest, he was glad it was Stiles.

The next year when Derek found the same flowers at his door, he smiled when he saw the name at the bottom of the card this time.


End file.
